Because
by Celestial Nanodayo
Summary: They were seemingly unrelated, enemies in opposition, hatred for one other. But no one but them knew the complicated and ever-changing relationship they shared, the way they knew what one another was thinking about before they even said it. Ironically, the one common hatred they had was the thing that had brought them together. [Akutagawa/Dazai x OC]
1. Her

[A/N]: Hello there! This is my first Bungou Stray Dogs story. It's based on the manga only and not the anime, so if there any differences between the manga and anime causing you not to understand part of it, I apologise. By the way, if any of my characters are OOC (out of character) do tell me. I admit I'm not very good at writing BSD characters. Please read and review for me to improve!

 **X**

" _Ryu…?"_

 _A thin black-haired boy, barely in his teens, called out after his friend almost desperately as he walked away from the window._

 _Ryu didn't look back._

" _Ryu!"_

 _Still no response._

" _Hey, you over there, keep quiet!"_

 _It was too late._

 _The two men dressed in black walked towards the boy and grasped him roughly by the wrists, eyeballing him nastily._

" _You gonna try anything funny?"_

 _He shook his head, quivering in fear, eyes still darting around for any possible route of escape._

" _Now behave yourself and follow us quietly and obediently, or else."_

 _Being dragged along out of the room, the black-haired boy watched helplessly as he watched one of his two good friends sprint away from the window, still looking back towards the pair of boys, eyes still desperately urging them to follow her, her long hair and dress billowing with the wind._

 _That was his last image of her – usually beautifully bright eyes full of desperation, her silhouette rushing away from that tortuous place; running towards freedom and hope, while he was trapped in the darkness, longing for a way to escape._

 _He thought it would be the last time he ever saw her._

 **X**

 _Gosh, what was he up to again…_

Nakajima Atsushi raced down the slope, running and running as fast he possibly could, before stopping right in front of a bizarre structure that somehow held a… fishing net?

It worked like a crane, and it had manoeuvred the net into the water of the lake before him, and the net now contained a massive lump of black. Obviously not fish.

Atsushi sighed and resisted the urge to facepalm as he leaned forward on the edge of the pavement beside the lake.

 _How many attempts like this was he going to make before he gave up?_

"Dazai-san, I know you're there. Please get out."

A murmur arose from the net, as a familiar black mop of hair peeped out of the water. The aforementioned slowly climbed out of the net, only to plop right back into the water.

"Dazai-san! Kunikida-san and the rest told me to get you out, and if I don't I'll probably get in trouble with them, because you're supposed to be catching those people right now together with me! I can't take all of them down alone. So _please_ just come out…"

A whine came out of Dazai's mouth in response, as he slowly began rising to the surface again.

"Why are you always the only one to come to so-called rescue me? Whenever I call everyone else to say that I'm going to commit suicide, they _all_ either just put the phone down and hang up or simply tell me that it's a good thing or they're off to celebrate. You're the only one who actually _bothers…_ If they care, get someone else to fetch me!"

As Dazai was going to sink right back into the lake, his eyes glimpsed something and he frantically began waving and yelling to his left.

Atsushi's eyes followed.

A young woman was walking along the pavement beside the lake – where Atsushi had been a minute ago – and seemed to be in a rush, walking extremely quickly.

 _Was Dazai going to ask for her help?_

"Oi! Miyamoto Yuriko!"

 _Did he… actually know her?_

"Uhh… Dazai-san…"

"What, Atsushi-san?"

"I mean…"

"Yuri Yuri Yurikooo~"

"Do you have friends outside of the Agency?"

Dazai looked at him like he was crazy.

"Now why would you think that?"

 _But…_

"Don't tell me…"

The woman – apparently Miyamoto Yuriko, whom Dazai addressed by _first name_ no less – had changed direction and walked towards them, frowning a little as she examined Dazai in his current situation.

She sighed heavily.

"Gosh, Osa, are you trying to commit suicide _again?_ You know Kunikida-san is going to be rather upset with you if he finds out you've been slacking instead of hunting those thieves down."

Atsushi gaped at the woman in shock.

 _What?_

 _OSA?!_

 _Hunting thieves?_

She was really part of the agency, he supposed.

And he thought that after that little recruitment test, there would be no more surprises in store for him.

As she began helping Dazai out of the net, Miyamoto noticed his startled expression, and smiled slightly.

"Oh hello there. Are you the newbie the Agency recruited recently?"

Atsushi merely nodded dumbly.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Miyamoto Yuriko, as you probably have already figured out, and I'm also part of the Detective Agency. Although I've been part of the agency for some time, I'm not a full-blown member and it's not technically my job, so I assume that's why I haven't met you yet."

Now Atsushi had a chance to study her properly. She had high cheekbones, slightly tanned skin- relatively uncommon for Japanese women, but it was quite striking and suited her – with brownish-black hair and unusual green eyes. A lopsided smile, which softened her hard features. Standing up straight, confident.

 _Was she wearing… coloured contacts?_

Nah. Atsushi felt that someone like her wouldn't do something as tacky as that.

 _Then again…_

 _What kind of person was she?_

Millions of questions popped up in Atsushi's head.

"Wait… why do you and Dazai-san call each other by first names? And why do you know everything about the agency if you're not full-time?"

He blurted the questions out, face turning red with embarrassment.

He hadn't quite meant to be so inquisitive.

Miyamoto merely smiled a little.

"Osamu and I are age-old friends from childhood. I actually never called him by his surname before."

Atsushi 's brain went whirring frantically, attempting to visualise a five-year-old Osamu Dazai playing in a sand pit together with another five-year-old Miyamoto Yuriko, shrieking and laughing together.

 _Nope. Too difficult._

"Plus, even though I'm not a full-time member of the Agency, I am still technically considered an agent. I'm one of the oldest members, actually, and the Boss always makes sure to tell me of any major happenings within the Agency."

"Oh yeah! Atsushi, Yuri-chan here is an aspiring lawyer at the local university! She's too smart to neglect her studies to be a full-time member of the Detective Agency, unfortunately…"

Miyamoto's cheeks went red at the compliment, before she reached into her pocket and took out her phone, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Kunikida-san, I'm afraid Osa just attempted to commit suicide _again_ , when _clearly_ he was supposed – "

"YURI-CHAN! Give the phone to me now!"

Atsushi suppressed a smile as Miyamoto merely stepped out of the way of Dazai, continuing to talk on the phone with a clearly furious Kunikida, who was so loud that Atsushi could hear his yelling from the phone a distance away.

Smirking a little, Miyamoto winked at Atsushi, before promptly pressing something on her screen.

A loud, blaring voice began echoing throughout the entire area, which was once quiet and peaceful.

Dazai promptly covered both his ears .

Atsushi gawped.

 _Oh no she didn't…_

"OSAMU DAZAI! You're supposed to be catching the scum of society right now, and yet as Miyamoto tells me, you are trying to end your life for the millionth time again!"

The voice was slightly shrill – due to the anxiety of Kunikida – and it began reverberating on and on in the park.

"Fine, I'm quite used to you messing up my perfect, precise and IMPECCABLY PLANNED schedule. But then I create _another_ schedule just to accommodate your needs and your whims, and you MESS UP THIS SCHEDULE TOO?! Now I'm off track by around three minutes! Everything's completely messed up now! And – "

"Yes, yes, Kunikida-san, I'm aware this is an _awful_ situation indeed, messing up your _precious_ schedule. I'll bring him back to wherever he was supposed to be at. By the way, in case you didn't know, the new kid was at the job just now, according to Ranpo-san. He is quite efficient, and you're fifteen minutes _ahead_ , rather. Goodbye."

She hung up with an efficient _click_ , voice dripping with sarcasm throughout her entire monologue.

Atsushi couldn't help but marvel in awe at that perfectly poised figure dragging and lagging the complaining Osamu Dazai on the ground towards the footpath.

 _How does she do it?_

Before Atsushi could continue staring, however, Miyamoto Yuriko glanced behind and gestured him to walk faster.

"Nakajima-san, can you tell me where the place Osa was supposed to be at? I'll bring him there, if you want."

"NONONO It's okay! I think he can walk on his own, and even if he can't I'll just drag him along too."

"Well… Okay then. Enjoy your fun."

With a small smirk and a wave goodbye, Miyamoto Yuriko departed, walking towards her intended location briskly.

And Atsushi was left gaping at her in mild fascination.

"Uh…"

He turned to face an irritated-looking Osamu Dazai who was too busy making childish faces at the departing figure of Miyamoto Yuriko to even notice him.

"Dazai, can you tell me how she's so…"

"Scary? Intimidating? Irritating?"

Dazai offered, still pouting over the fact that he was going to get yet another tongue-lashing from Kunikida later on because of Miyamoto, and muttered something about "busybody Yuri" or other.

Atsushi pretended not to hear that.

"I mean, why's she always so… efficient? And when did you get to know her? How? And why does she want to study law when she already has something to do at the Agency?'

Dazai chuckled.

"Curious, aren't you… Well, let's just say that both of us were from the same kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school. We got similar grades and qualified for similar schools, and that's how we got to know each other for so long. Along with two others, we were good friends since five years old."

An unreadable expression flashed across Dazai's face, then he smiled.

"Yuri-chan's always been very organised and responsible. I don't think she's ever gotten into severe trouble at school in her entire life, and takes almost everything seriously. I still don't understand why she turned out like this…"

"Also, like me, Yuri-chan's only 21 turning 22. She'd wanted to be a lawyer since young, and I can't stop her from studying law, right? Yuri-chan wants to focus on her studies instead of becoming a full member of the Agency. Besides, she doesn't particularly like to have a so-called 'unstable job'. She would rather be a lawyer, which I find completely senseless and stupid – Wait, don't tell her I said that!"

Atsushi merely laughed, Dazai's words running through his mind as the pair walked leisurely to the location of their assignment.

 _How did both of them turn out so completely opposite from each other?_

 **X**

"Get up, Osa!"

"Mhmm… Ten more minutes…"

"I swear, if you carry on like this, you'll be _way_ too unfit to even run to catch those snatch thieves or to capture criminals."

"But we have guns… And that's what guns for – when you're too lazy to go and give chase… Besides, they're faster than tackling the dudes…"

"Hmm. Let's make a deal. If you get ten more minutes in bed, I'm giving these muffins _all_ to Nakajima-san and Kunikida, even, and you will get – "

Osamu Dazai bolted up from the bed in alarm, making a wild grab at the muffins which Miyamoto Yuriko now held, leaning over him with a wide smirk on her face.

"Gotcha. That's the _one_ thing that will wake you up."

"Nandayo, Yuri-chan, why did you threaten to take away my muffins? They're my source of energy in the morning…"

"Don't forget, _I'm_ the one making those muffins and you don't have the right to them either way."

"Ugh… Just let me eat them later…"

Yuriko grinned to herself as she finished cleaning her baking equipment, whistling a familiar tune as her disgruntled roommate went to wash up.

Although it may seem awkward, she sharing a room with Dazai was the perfect arrangement. Both of them were cash-strapped and desperately needed to share rooms to save on rental, and they didn't have any major problems with each other since they had known each other for so long. When they were younger, they even camped out together at times, sleeping in the same sleeping bag in a cramped tent.

And besides, staying with Dazai gave her _lots_ of advantages, including threatening to take away something important of his if he refused to do something.

She smirked to herself once again.

"Miyamoto-san?"

A familiar knock was heard on her room door, as Yuriko cursed and put her equipment down, heading towards the entrance.

"Yes, Kunikida-san?"

'Where's that lazy Dazai?"

"He just woke up and he's in the toilet right now. Why?"

"We need both of you to come out for an important assignment today. This cannot be delayed."

"Oh…"

So much her exercise plans for her childhood friend…

"Well, according a woman who just visited the agency, she needs to see all the agents of the detective agency in order to announce some kind of terrible thing brewing. I've been wondering, and I think you should go on this job since you haven't done anything recently. Atsushi and Tanizaki will also be going along with you to assist along the way."

"Alright. We'll come along as soon as possible. Thanks though."

As the door swung to a close rather violently, Yuriko stuck out her tongue childishly at the door and made a face at the thought of the woman. Seemed like some kind of big shot.

"Osa! Come out soon! Kunikida-san has a visitor and he says she wants to see us soon!"

She heard a tired and exasperated groan in response, and sighed back.

 **TIME SKIP**

A blonde woman sat patiently at the couch, posture perfect and her eyes darting around the room, seemingly very alert. Dazai wondered what she was doing there, and what was the important thing that she had to say – which caused Yuriko to forcefully drag him out of the toilet in impatience when he was still not done yet.

"Let's see… An investigation request, right?"

Tanizaki slowly wrote something down on a piece of paper attached to his clipboard.

Dazai inwardly groaned at how long this was gonna take, but nevertheless focused his gaze on the woman.

She seemed a little too alert to be a regular woman in an office job – or so she claimed.

"Beautiful… As bold was a water lily, and as sweet as a princess."

 _Slowly, subtly…_

"Would you like to commit a lovers' suicide with me?"

 _That does it._

"OUCH!"

He yelped in pain, clutching his back as a sudden heavy force came down on him, as Kunikida rose up angrily and turned to the visitor apologetically.

"Ah sorry, please forget that."

Dazai scowled as he was dragged out of the room, complaining about how he just wanted to have a beautiful lovers' suicide with that "beautiful woman".

He made eye contact with a certain green-eyed woman left in the room, and she frowned.

 _What was he trying to say?_

"I had said that it is a request, right? Recently, there has been a mean-looking guy hanging around behind our company's main building."

Tanizaki frowned slightly, Yuriko noticed.

She narrowed her eyes at the visitor.

Even after Osa had purposefully distracted her with his totally outrageous lovers' suicide proposal – which was out of the ordinary for everyone who didn't know him personally – here was this air of absurd calm around her.

Her lips thinned, as she leaned almost casually against the wall nearby, eyes fixated on the visitor.

 _Osa was right._

"A mean-looking guy? What does he look like, Higuchi-san?"

"I don't know much but…"

Yuriko couldn't bear to listen anymore, and merely tuned out the rest of the conversation as she took up a cup of tea, and sipped it slowly, millions of thoughts running through her head.

 _Could she be from…?_

She shook her head firmly.

No.

 _She couldn't be._

She looked so young, and she was probably just an efficient businesswoman who's over-paranoid…

Yuriko bit her lip impatiently.

 _Stop tricking yourself._

Osa couldn't be wrong.

Neither could her gut be wrong.

Still, where was she from exactly, then?

 **X**

"Uh… Miyamoto-san, could you tell me who this person is exactly?"

"Hmm?"

Atsushi pulled out a photo of the mysterious "Akutagawa" person Kunikida had been talking about just now.

As she took the photo and glanced at the person, Atsushi noticed her face turn pale. Her hand immediately dropped the paper, her eyes seemingly unfocused.

 _Was she in shock…?_

Probably, since it was the face of such a dangerous man from the… Port Mafia, did Kunikida say that?

Atsushi picked the photograph up, and realised Miyamoto had already recovered and was kneeling down to pick it up too.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Nakajima-san. I was just momentarily startled. Where did you get that photo from?"

"Ah… Before I left the agency, Kunikida-san gave it to me and told me that this man was from the Port Mafia, and extremely dangerous. Kunikida-san even said he couldn't beat him in a fight. Is he that…?"

Something in Miyamoto's expression changed as she looked at the photo again, and nodded.

"That is most definitely true. Um – Akutagawa is extremely dangerous. All of us have come across him at one point in our careers and the moment we saw him using his ability, we didn't even dare to fight him. If you're ever unlucky enough to see him – run for your life."

"Yeah. His ability – it's specifically designed to kill people."

Tanizaki joined in the conversation, locking eyes with Miyamoto, with unreadable emotion in their eyes.

Atsushi frowned.

"Well, what exactly is this abi – "

"We're here."

The blonde Higuchi interrupted their conversation by turning around, glancing in slight suspicion as the three detective agents suddenly shut their mouths and stopped talking.

As they walked down a deserted alley, the detective trio turned from side to side, observing the place.

"It somehow feels like… A demon's den."

Miyamoto announced ominously, as her eyes continued to check out the place.

Atsushi gulped slightly.

Then Tanizaki narrowed his eyes, and put a thumb to his chin, deep in thought.

"Strange."

Atsushi looked at him curiously.

"Is this really the place?"

 _What did he mean?_

Higuchi was rapidly walking away towards a certain direction.

 _Strange._

"Higuchi!"

She halted.

"Higuchi-san, if outlaws back out of something, they usually prepare an escape route, but if this was the place, look – "

Atsushi looked, and his eyes widened in realisation.

"If they came from over there, there would be no way out."

Instantly, he could sense the green-eyed woman beside him tense up, and Higuchi-san abruptly turned around.

Atsushi let out a little gasp.

There was something different about her; her aura had changed. From appearing as an efficient businesswoman – as she had claimed earlier on – she had abruptly transformed into an unknown figure – eyes piercing and gleaming dangerously, movements a little sharper.

"I know all about that, but this was a trap."

"My targets…"

Atsushi blinked twice, brain processing slowly.

 _Oh._

"Are you guys!"

 _Oh no._

"Great. Just great."

Yuriko muttered under her breath as she watched Higuchi whip out a phone. Obviously to call her boss or the person she was working for, to tell them that her targets were so-called captured, and how she had successfully tricked them.

 _Far from it, blondie._

"Akutagawa-san, I've captured them as planned."

 _Wait, what?_

 _Did she say…_

 _Akutagawa?_

"Now we can dispose of them."

 _No._

 _No._

 _NO –_

Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted her two fellow agents reeling in shock.

"Did you say… Akutagawa?"

A painful expression appeared on Tanizaki's face, and he looked like he was about to faint.

"For the sake of our boss…"

 _Our Boss?_

 _THEIR BOSS?_

 _Just how much and how high had he climbed the power ladder of the Port Mafia?  
_

"I will gladly kill you right here!"

Then, a pistol was whipped out suddenly, directly facing them.

Yuriko's vision sharpened, and she bent her knees, anticipating something exciting.

She licked her lips.

She hadn't experienced something so exciting for so long, and she was ready for whatever it took to bring down this blonde stranger.

 _Wait._

But there was Akutagawa Ryunnosuke waiting, hiding for them in the shadows.

Her lips dried.

 _Akutagawa Ryunnosuke._

A name she wouldn't ever forget.

"Uh… ow…"

She glanced to her side, eyes widening with horror at the sight she now witnessed.

"Onii-sama…"

 _No._

 _Naomi?_

"Are you all right?"

Blood dripping from her dress, her back wounded and her beautiful pale skin now marred by red substance oozing all over.

"NAOMI!"

She promptly collapsed, still so graceful, a ghost of a smile gracing her features as she fell onto the dirty ground. Retaining her dignity.

Like an angel wounded in battle.

"NAOMI! Hang in there, Naomi! Open your eyes!"

Tanizaki was clearly in no state to help now.

Yuriko thinned her lips.

"Atsushi-kun! Miyamoto-kun! Do you have any bandages?"

Yuriko was already reaching into her bag, bringing out a thick roll of bandages, handing them over quickly to Tanizaki.

She sighed. She was so accustomed to her having to fetch Osa from idiotic suicide situations that she actually carried bandages around, in case Osa ever needed them for his injuries.

"No… I have to clean the wounds first… Then I can get Doctor Yosano to treat her…"

 _Clearly no state for any form of combat._

 _I suppose I'll just have to help myself later on._

 _I hope his ability still works._

Then she stepped behind him, gun pointed to his head, eyes flashing menacingly around.

"I have looked into you. You are not key combat personnel."

 _Wrong, wrong, wrong._

 _Tanizaki is key combat personnel._

 _We can't do without his abilities._

"Why don't you join her lovely little sister?"

 _Big mistake._

Yuriko tensed up.

"Atsushi-kun and Miyamoto-kun, go take cover.."

 _Run._

"Leave this bitch to me…"

"To kill."

"LIGHT SNOW!"

She dragged the shocked Atsushi by the hand, rushing to a corner.

Higuchi was instantly confused, realising that Tanizaki must have vanished somehow. She pointed her gun in all directions, her posture steady, but her eyes revealed the panic that she tried to conceal inside.

Yuriko grinned.

"My Light Snow…"

Higuchi turned 360 degrees, desperately firing her gun aimlessly in all directions, hopelessly confused.

"… Shall turn this snow-filled space into a smoke-screen."

Higuchi's eyes grew rounder and rounder, larger and larger.

"Where are you?"

She barely whispered, a look of terror and fear plastered on her face, her body slightly trembling.

"My body shall be overwritten by the scenery behind me. You see me not."

Higuchi was in a blind panic now.

"Still… you'll still get shot, even so!"

"Big mistake."

Yuriko thought she could see a ghost of Tanizaki's smile flit across the space as something lunged towards her, Higuchi's throat being clasped by a pair of unerring, tough, strong hands.

Yuriko knew the true power of Tanizaki's hands.

They were powerful, tough, and there was no way –

"Ahem."

 _Did she just hear… a cough sound?_

Yuriko quietly cursed under her breath.

She should have expected this happening.

As Tanizaki opened his mouth in shock to speak, his body crumpled to the ground.

Atsushi gaped, as he turned behind to face the monstrosity that was Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.

 _Great._

 _Just great._

Atsushi's mind filled with a billion, trillion, quadrillion, infinite number of thoughts as their eyes met.

Akutagawa's eyes were pitch black.

"You fear death."

"You fear killing."

He felt like he was slowly falling into a chasm; his body quivering, and for some reason the air felt just a little chiller than usual.

Definitely not because of the snow Tanizaki had created earlier.

"Those who yearn for death, are also yearned by death."

 _No._

What Kunikida had warned him about earlier flashed through his mind.

" _Stay away from this guy. If you see him, run away."_

The expression on Kunikida's face had been grave, even for him.

" _Even I… Wouldn't pick a fight with him."_

"Therefore…"

Atsushi glanced sideways, a plea for help hidden in his eyes. But Miyamoto Yuriko didn't notice him, and was instead staring at Akutagawa, seemingly deep in thought.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Akutagawa."

 _Obviously._

"… I am but a lowly dog of the Port Mafia…"

"Yeah, right."

Atsushi turned to face his partner, gaping at her.

 _What did she just say?!_

Miyamoto didn't look in the least unruffled by what the Akutagawa character had just said, and merely stood with her hands on her hips, lips pursed.

" _Obviously_ you're someone important. If you weren't Higuchi's superior or something, why would she report to you or call you?"

 _WHAT was Miyamoto Yuriko doing?!_

Atsushi fervently chanted a silent prayer that she hadn't gone mad with fear or shock.

"At _least_ credit us with some kind of common sense."

Yuriko glanced to the side, vaguely amused as Nakajima Atsushi looked like he was going to faint from what she had just said to the greatly feared Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.

Akutagawa curled his lip with amusement, as his lackey Higuchi sprang forward with disgust and horrification at what Yuriko's words.

"Akutagawa-senpai, don't belittle yourself like this! And how dare she insult you like that!?"

Higuchi was practically shooting daggers at Yuriko, as the green-eyed detective agent merely shrugged her off in response.

 _Seems like this Higuchi doesn't know anything about Akutagawa…_

"I can handle this on my – "

Higuchi was interrupted by a swift movement, Akutagawa effectively controlling her with a violent swish of pure nothing.

He loomed over her terrified self.

"Your order is to capture the Man-Tiger alive. What if you shot him by mistake? Useless imbecile."

Yuriko pursed her lips.

 _Akutagawa Ryunnosuke…_

"I am sorry…"

Higuchi bowed and muttered her apologies, eyes still fearfully watching her superior to see if he would dish out even more harsh words.

What kind of person had he become since she last saw him?

"Man-Tiger? Capture alive? Who are you people?"

"Our target has always been you alone, Man-Tiger."

Yuriko's mind swirled with thoughts.

Her mind flashed back to when Osa had told her about the lone man-tiger who had escaped from the area near an orphanage, fleeing to Yokohama…

 _So that's him, huh._

She scowled at the thought.

"Your companions lying over there… I guess you can say they got hurt because of you."

 _What?_

In battle, when someone got injured or killed, it was no one's fault.

It was _everyone's_ fault for slipping up, letting him suffer.

"You bring calamity to those around you simply by living."

 _What?_

"You should have sensed it by now."

She had thought he would have known better than to say those exact lines which he had been told before to yet another innocent boy.

" _Rashomon._ "

And as Atsushi thought he was going to die, he heard a whisper barely escaping Miyamoto Yuriko's mouth, filled with fury.

" _Futatsu no niwa."_

 **X**

Thank you for reading this chapter! It's quite satisfying to end with a cliffhanger hehehe… Please give feedback on my writing and the story! I'd like to see how readers want the story to go.

By the way, _Futatsu no niwa_ means _two gardens_ in Japanese.


	2. Him

[A/N]: Thank you for reading and the reviews! Also, I forgot to mention that Miyamoto Yuriko is an actual Japanese author – you'll find her on Google (like I did oops). One of her books is in fact _Futatsu no niwa_ , and I picked that particular title because I did have a particular ability of hers in mind. If you're interested, my OC's personality will be slightly like the actual Miyamoto Yuriko's (I imagine her as an independent woman of sorts), but not as feminist as the actual author was. Please enjoy the next chapter!

 **X**

" _Futatsu no niwa."_

 _Oh wait._

 _Miyamoto Yuriko had her own ability as well._

But…

Nakajima Atsushi held in his breath as his partner and Akutagawa faced head on, the green-eyed agent standing in front of him almost protectively.

Kunikida-san had said earlier that even he wouldn't dare to battle Akutagawa with his own abilities.

 _Why was Miyamoto Yuriko so confident?_

Why was she so unafraid of fighting against him?

 _Wasn't she worried that she would be badly injured or killed?_

"MIYAMOTO-SAN! BE CAREFUL!"

He knew it wouldn't be of much use to the green-eyed woman, who seemed like she was in 100% battle mode and not listening to him, but Atsushi hoped that it would serve as a kind of warning that she _shouldn't_ even be challenging Akutagawa.

Akutagawa braced himself for something terrible to happen.

Akutagawa's cape transformed into a black roaring wave like it did just now when he dealt with Tanizaki, eyes blazing as the black cape billowed out behind him, like an endless devouring monster, consuming literally everything in its path.

Yet there was Miyamoto, seemingly unafraid of this attack, standing straight and tall, like some kind of heroine from a shounen manga. And somehow just – did she just _duck_ under that black wave? And what was that black matter made of, anyway?

The two opponents cancelled each other's ability out, and both of them seemed unhurt and emerged unscathed.

 _Just what did Miyamoto just do to cancel out Akutagawa's attack?!_

Tanizaki's ability was amazing just now, and yet it did absolutely nothing to stop Akutagawa. And Kunikida had said himself that he wouldn't dare to challenge Akutagawa in a fight.

He was told that if he ever saw Akutagawa, he should run for his life and never look back, never hesitate no matter how many people he had together with him.

But apparently Miyamoto Yuriko was on a different level altogether from the rest of them.

 _Just what was her ability?!_

Atsushi cocked to his head to the side, peering curiously at the pair as they caught their breath and continued glaring at each other.

If Akutagawa was annoyed at his attack not working, he didn't show it. Neither did Miyamoto.

"Tch."

Akutagawa brushed off the sleeve of his coat, even though nothing was there.

"My Rashomon is omnivorous. It devours everything. Just a reminder to you, Miyamoto Yuriko. In case you have forgotten what my power is like."

 _In case she had forgotten?_

Did that mean Miyamoto Yuriko had met Akutagawa before?

Atsushi frowned thoughtfully. Maybe that explained why she was able to deal with him so much more easily than Tanizaki had, and how she was confident enough to duel with Akutagawa.

Miyamoto dipped her head slightly, almost as if she were bowing to him.

Then she smiled.

Or did she _smirk_?

"Akutagawa Ryunnosuke, rest assured I haven't forgotten the power of your Rashomon yet. I know what it's like, and the extent of its power."

 _Miyamoto Yuriko…_

Atsushi didn't understand her at all.

In the face of danger, she smiled or even smirked at her opponent, no matter how dangerous he was. When dealing with _Akutagawa,_ of the _Mafia,_ she still had a conversation with him and managed to duel with him without getting injured or anything and got out unscathed, which was a huge achievement. Even Kunikida said he wouldn't want to even try coming face to face with the fearsome Akutagawa, much less engage him in battle.

 _If she's so skilled at this, why is she only a part-time member of the agency?_

Dazai had said earlier that it was because Miyamoto was studying to be a lawyer and wanted to concentrate on getting her degree, but Atsushi suspected that the real reason behind was something else.

He had seen her expression earlier when she decided to battle against Akutagawa.

It was one of pure concentration and confidence, and mixed together with something else.

 _Emotion._

Miyamoto had an unreadable expression on her face before stepping forward just now, her orbs, which were usually fiery, held a certain depth in them. As if she was trying to hide something.

Well, whatever it was, Atsushi knew that that girl had guts.

"Atsushi-kun."

Atsushi turned towards Miyamoto Yuriko, as she nodded towards Tanizaki at the corner, who was barely moving, heavily breathing in and out.

Desperation was written all over his face, as he could hear his companion panting. On the verge of crying.

"Atsushi-kun, run…"

Tanizaki barely managed to say those two words before he collapsed onto the floor, a look of anguish on his face.

Flashback after flashback ran through Atsushi's head.

 _Akutagawa looming before him._

" _Your companions lying over there… I guess you can say they got hurt because of you."_

" _You bring calamity to those around you simply by living."_

" _You should have sensed it by now."_

 _The principal looming before him._

" _Useless being. No wonder your parents abandoned you."_

" _You are scum; scum of the earth."_

He gritted his teeth.

" _Remember, you are part of the Agency."_

" _Don't do anything that will smear our reputation."_

A surge of determination arose in him, as he stood up and faced the man looming before him, Akutagawa's dark black eyes staring at his dangerously, challenging him to make a move.

"Miyamoto-san… What truly is the extent of this man's ability?"

She tilted her head towards Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.

"Let him explain his own power. You might be able to understand it better than if I were to explain it."

 _What was this power?_

"Very well. My black beast is an omnivore that can consume anything, even space itself."

 _What?_

 _What kind of monstrous…_

He remembered what Miyamoto had said to him earlier when walking towards the alley, with that solemn face of hers.

" _His ability – it's specifically designed to kill people."_

His eyes narrowed.

"The space of the bullet's trajectory from the gun barrel to the target was eaten away by my _Rashomon_. It devours everything in my path, including space."

 _What?_

No matter how many bullets or knives were shot or thrown at him, no matter the speed they were flying towards him at…

Those eyes the colour of darkness seemed to stare at Atsushi even more intently now.

"Once the space gets split, guns or fire cannot hurt me."

 _That means…_

Atsushi just realised, with shock, that this man was virtually _invincible._

No attack would work on him at all.

He stepped back.

Then Akutagawa coughed slightly.

"Now, I shall keep my promise."

A flash of black emerged, and Atsushi braced himself as he leaped forward, slowly transforming into a huge beast.

Ready to attack, and die if necessary.

 **X**

Then a figure in a black coat suddenly stepped in between, and with a quick flash, held out his arms in opposite directions towards both Akutagawa and Nakajima.

Miyamoto Yuriko silently chanted a prayer of thanks.

 _Thank goodness for his timely appearance._

 _I was so ready to step in though..._

 _Still, better that he be around than not._

"Now, now. That's enough."

The figure that stepped in between told the two fighting men cheerfully, as he merely put his arms down at his sides after both of their powers dissipated into thin air.

"… What?"

She could see Nakajima blink repeatedly with surprise, and look at his opponent carefully before examining himself.

Yuriko grinned to herself. It was always a shock to experience one's power being taken away from Dazai Osamu, every single time. Especially the first.

Then that blondie Higuchi sprang up from her position, and suddenly started spluttering away.

"Wait, you're from the Agency! Did you know about our plan all along? How?! How did you destroy our plans?!"

Yuriko stole a glance at her long-time friend, and he winked back at her, before pulling out a small black device, playfully dangling it in the air with a smile on his face.

"Well, you see, due to my own personality, I have a great habit of stalking beauties whom I find suitable for my purpose, so I slipped this tiny little thing on you. It's so small, yet it serves such a great purpose, and is so convenient. Wonderful, isn't it?"

Higuchi dug in her pockets frantically, and finally managed to take a little bug out of her right pocket.

"Don't you think so too, Higuchi-san? So small yet so effective. You should get one someday. They aren't too costly. I'm sure the Mafia will be able to afford such a device."

Stifling a giggle, Yuriko grinned at Higuchi's reaction. She looked _so_ horrified.

She should really make a meme out of this or something, except that the Mafia would probably go after her and Osa for doing something as laughable as that, even if it was only a harmless joke on Higuchi.

 _Sigh._

The nuisances of working so dangerously.

She could tell Osa was thinking of the same thing too, as he pulled an expression _exactly_ like Higuchi's, and she began laughing uncontrollably.

What a mistake.

All eyes locked on her.

Yuriko was laughing on and on and on, till her cheek muscles began twitching and hurting like _hell_ , and she decided to stop laughing.

She didn't know laughing could hurt so much.

Well, it was obvious that she couldn't stop, and continued for another five minutes, holding her cheeks with pain and still giggling helplessly at the thought of the memeable Higuchi's face, groaning a little from the ache in her muscles.

"I'm… so sorry for my laughter… but… NEVERMIND! Just… ow… ignore me!" 

Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment, as she rolled to the ground, still laughing helplessly as Higuchi's face darkened with humiliation.

Yuriko thought she could see the tip of Osa's mouth twitch and curve _just_ a little upwards. Well, she wouldn't be surprised if he was going to make the same mistake as she did.

"How dare you laugh at my mistake!"

 _HUH?_

Higuchi thought that she was laughing at her _mistake?_

More like Yuriko was laughing at her face, but she couldn't exactly say _that_ to the furious Mafia member's face, could she?

"Higuchi-san… ugh… ouch… I'm not… laughing… HAHAHAHA… sorry… at you…"

"Then who are you laughing at, huh? And besides, despite my mistake and failure due to this irritating member of your agency who thwarted my plans, I have no intention of letting any of you come out of this situation alive!"

She deftly whipped out a gun, and pointed it straight at Osa, who was caught red-handed pulling a funny face at Yuriko's situation, and he merely raised an eyebrow almost nonchalantly even when facing the tip of a gun.

Even with that casual expression of his, Yuriko could sense him getting just a little anxious, as his posture shifted from lax to alert.

Yuriko tensed up once more, ready to get into action.

"Wait."

Akutagawa Ryunnosuke suddenly lay a hand on her shoulder, violently jerking Higuchi back, staring at Osamu Dazai _very_ dangerously, fire burning in those two abysses for eyes.

 _Is it because…_

No.

He couldn't still be so afraid of Dazai Osamu after so long. After all, Akutagawa Ryunnosuke had already risen through the ranks of the Mafia, and even had his own little Higuchi to boss around and give orders to.

Surely he still didn't…?

"Higuchi, you cannot beat him here. Let's go."

 _So he still did._

Yuriko thought she could detect the slightest bit of humiliation and fear in Akutagawa's eyes.

 _So he still feared him._

 _After all this time._

Higuchi immediately whipped around to face her superior, the face of indignation, spluttering in confusion and anger at his statement. She clearly hadn't expected him to say so.

"WHAT? But Akutagawa-senpai – "

"Let's go."

Yuriko smirked openly at Akutagawa's response to her childhood friend, and winked at Osamu Dazai as she did so, before receiving a small wink back from him.

"We'll meet next time, Dazai. The head of the man-tiger will be taken eventually."

"Sure, we'll meet again, Akutagawa, but I'm not sure about the second part. Nakajima-san will definitely stay with us for a long time."

Yuriko confidently stated, stepping forward and looking Akutagawa Ryunnosuke in the eye. Her heart fluttered a little, due to both a little fear and a lot of emotion.

Today's encounter had stirred up so many old emotions in her, all from the past.

And things that she so badly wanted to forget.

 _Akutagawa Ryunnosuke…_

What exactly had transformed him into this black beast of rage of today?

Without even thinking about it, Yuriko pursed her lips, and found her answer already.

 _The Port Mafia._

How she detested that name from the very depths of her soul.

Before her thoughts could wander any further, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to meet face-to-face with a grinning Dazai Osamu. She didn't smile back.

"Yuri-chan, not bad for a day's work, eh? Especially since I barely stepped in to help. My presence was indeed a great help to you, as always, was it not?"

His smile was infectious, but Yuriko felt no desire in her whatsoever to smile back.

"Osa, we almost got massacred by that Akutagawa Ryunnosuke and his assistant Higuchi. If I wasn't there to stop them, Nakajima-san would probably have been killed by him by now. That's nothing to laugh about. Besides, don't you realise that today Akutagawa was a little more on edge than usual?"

The smile died down to a solemn expression.

"There's no such thing as 'as usual' anymore, Yuriko. Stop thinking about his attitude. He's completely part of the Mafia now, an opponent of the Detective Agency."

"But Osa, don't you want to – "

A flash of anger came into those usually placid emotionless black orbs, as he gripped her shoulder forcefully and stared into her unyielding, resistant leafy green eyes.

"Of course I want to! Don't you realise that I _care_ about that wretched Akutagawa as much as you do?! Don't you realise that I actually think about him all day, all night, and that he hounds my thoughts as much as he hounds yours?"

"I want to help him, of course I do. But he's transformed from the person we knew from the past, into someone who's a complete stranger right now. He doesn't care about us, and we shouldn't care about him now. It'll just make us too weak to even go against Akutagawa, much less deal with the Port Mafia effectively."

Then the anger subsided, as Yuriko felt the tightness of his grip go away, and that emotional something in those eyes slowly go away.

"You have to forget about Akutagawa Ryunnosuke, Yuriko, if you want to help the Agency. Right now you're restricted in what you can do because of that. That's the reason why you're still studying law in that posh law school of yours, and not actively helping us."

Yuriko bit her lip.

Those words were true, and they were like daggers, piercing through the centre of her heart, making it bleed and bleed and bleed; unstopping and painful.

"What if I _can't_ forget him, Osa?"

Coldness suddenly seeped into those orbs of the man in front of her, as he turned away and started walking towards the unconscious body of Tanizaki.

"Put those feelings away."

A pause.

"Like I do every day now."

Then he turned around abruptly, flashing a small little twisted, sad, solemn smile on his face, before heaving Tanizaki onto his shoulder.

"Help me carry Naomi."

Yuriko sighed, brushing a lock of hair away from her face as she bent down, heaving Naomi up and carrying her bridal-style, following Osa out of the alley and onto the main road.

 _Luckily, that girl is lighter than most, huh._

And neither of the two noticed Nakajima Atsushi peering out from the corner of the alley, gaping at them as he did so, as the conversation he just heard processed in his brain. Apparently they had completely forgotten about him, unintentionally abandoning him and held an _extremely_ private conversation within his hearing range.

" _Don't you realise that I actually think about him all day, all night, and that he hounds my thoughts as much as he hounds yours?"_

" _But he's transformed from the person we knew from the past, into someone who's a complete stranger right now."_

" _You have to forget about Akutagawa Ryunnosuke, Yuriko, if you want to help the Agency. Right now you're restricted in what you can do because of that."_

" _What if I can't forget him, Osa?"_

The conversation ran in his head over and over again, as he slowly slipped out of the alley, following the pair back to the Agency, his eyebrows narrowed as he slowly thought about the dialogue.

It just quashed and removed any lingering doubts that Miyamoto Yuriko was a curious and mysterious girl.

Although Miyamoto and Dazai worked in mysterious ways, Atsushi still couldn't understand one thing about them, despite thinking about it over and over again.

 _How did Miyamoto and Dazai get to know Akutagawa Ryunnosuke of the Port Mafia?_

 **X**

"Aaaand… That's how Naomi and Tanizaki ended up unconscious, and we managed to carry them back to the agency without dropping them even once. Aren't we marvellous, strong both in spirit and health, and the best agents you could ever ask for?"

Dazai Osamu propped his legs up on the main table in the main room of the Agency, smirking to himself as he delivered the story of what had happened to an unusually quiet and solemn Kunikida. For once, he didn't get scolded for his "immature, unsightly action" of propping his legs up, probably because Kunikida was slightly pleased.

"Don't get your hopes up, Dazai. I'm _not_ going to get you handcuffs and handcuff you so you can commit suicide in some twisted way or another. It's not in my Book as of now, and I live by the Book."

"Wait, how do you know…?"

"I just do."

The girl across the table scowled slightly, resting her elbows on the table, and like Dazai's actions, it didn't even get noticed by Kunikida.

What a change.

"I was thinking."

Kunikida rolled his eyes.

"Everyone's thinking and processing information, Miyamoto. You don't need to state that explicitly whenever you actually _use_ your brain, unless you make a habit of not using it. Actually, that's quite a high possibility, considering what you did just now at the alley."

The green-eyed woman's scowl grew even deeper, as she leaned back and huffed slightly, refusing to argue with him.

"Kunikida, it's not her fault Akutagawa decided to just appear out of nowhere and start attacking Tanizaki. Besides, she has the necessary abilities and strength to be able to handle him without dying or getting beaten to a pulp. She emerged from the fight just fine, didn't she?"

Kunikida sighed, and merely stared long and hard at him.

"Akutagawa Ryunnosuke's presence only brings about trouble and danger. Even if Miyamoto did okay this time, it doesn't mean she'll do well _next_ time. She is skilled, but might not be able to take it. You say she's battled against him before in the past, but who knows how much he has changed since then?"

"But she has been able to handle stuff since she – "

"Both of you do realise the _she_ you're talking about is present in this room?"

Miyamoto Yuriko deadpanned, pushing her elbows even further nearer to the centre of the table.

Dazai thought he could see just a hint of a frown on Kunikida's face.

"Kunikida-san, I'm sorry if I was rash when I decided to fight Akutagawa because that might have ended terribly, which would have destroyed the Detective Agency even further. I should have considered how the rest would have felt. Also, I'm sorry if I was over-confident when interacting with Port Mafia members. I should have been more aware of the dangers involved."

Kunikida's frown developed even further, as he grudgingly nodded and accepted her apology.

Kunikida never liked Yuriko very much, Dazai knew. Although she'd been around slightly more than he had, Kunikida was considered second-in-command only to the Boss, and Yuriko had to follow his instructions strictly.

And obeying instructions wasn't exactly Yuriko's strong point.

Especially obeying instructions from people she didn't exactly like very much.

"Thank you, Miyamoto."

But Yuriko's body only got stiffer, as she leaned forward towards the bespectacled Kunikida, eyes narrowing.

"Kunikida-san, although I do admit that fighting Akutagawa was quite reckless of me, but if I hadn't done so, Nakajima-san might have gotten killed. Now that the Mafia hasn't accomplished their mission yet, I would like to _respectfully_ say that they might be barging in any minute now and trying to kill the man-tiger, since they had failed. Though they _might_ have to take some time to conduct and organise a full-scale assault."

Dazai Osamu sighed inwardly as Kunikida turned to look at him with a glint in his eye, obviously irritated with what he and Yuriko had done. Laying the blame all on him, and him alone. As always.

Because obviously that sly little trick wouldn't work on Yuriko, her being the oblivious thick-skinned person she was.

"Kunikida-san, I would like to _respectfully_ state that what Yu – I mean, Miyamoto is saying is absolutely correct. We've acted really stupid this time by trying to save Nakajima from being killed, can you forgive us please~"

Miyamoto Yuriko hid a grin as she buried her head in her arms, as Kunikida leaned forward towards Osa and if not for the fact that Kunikida was such a serious, _professional_ person, she thought she saw him roll his eyes at Osa.

Osa was back to his fooling-around, lighthearted, completely stupid and funny mood again, which she _much_ preferred over his serious mood from before.

"I'm not saying I don't forgive you for your hopeless actions, the two of you. But the point is, we need to prepare for an armed attack any time now, and this isn't your fault. So I'll let you stop bickering with me about this and go organise the rest of the detective agency personnel to prepare for defence."

"Aye aye captain!"

The two agents in front of Kunikida Doppo immediately shot up from the seats, saluted simultaneously, before bolting out of the door, sighing with relief.

 _Honestly..._

Kunikida shook his head a little as he too stood up, arranging the disorganised paperwork on the table – messed up by that rash impudent ass of Dazai Osamu, of course – before walking out and closing the door, making his way to the infirmary.

Both Miyamoto Yuriko and Dazai Osamu were already in their twenties – around the same age as him, actually – but still acted like complete and utter idiots, bickering and arguing among themselves about ridiculously trivial issues – Kunikida had heard them raising their voices angrily, threatening to beat each other up just because Miyamoto had apparently used up the last bag of tea and Dazai got _pissed_. And that didn't include the fact that the pair never failed to sulk quietly whenever they were scolded for rash actions.

 **X**

"I'll… leave the Detective Agency…"

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Miyamoto Yuriko swiped the phone away from Nakajima Atsushi, as she glared at him with a piercing gaze.

"You're supposed to be _resting_ to recover, and not going around making phone calls to the Mafia. Honestly, why – "

"Ohayo, Miyamoto. You have forgotten to greet me, apparently."

A voice starting speaking out of the phone, as Miyamoto tutted and received the call, glaring at Atsushi once more as she did so.

Atsushi shivered. Although Miyamoto Yuriko could be a nice person sometimes, she still scared him with her fierceness.

 _Efficient, soulless… Just like your typical lawyer._

"Apologies, Higuchi-san. By the way, Nakajima-san isn't going to just _quit_ because of your Mafia. He'll stick by us, and unlike what you think, he's a huge help and not a liability."

She thought she could sense a change in mood coming from the other side, as she tightened her grip on the phone and scowled deeply.

"I will not let the fact that Akutagawa-senpai was defeated so easily slide. The Mafia will come back for revenge, solely because of that little Man-Tiger of yours who is causing so much trouble. Watch out."

Then Higuchi hung up, causing Miyamoto to curse as she gazed at Atsushi with knowing eyes.

"I see why you wish to quit now."

He nodded, slinging his bag over his shoulder almost nonchalantly.

She sighed and combed her hair back with her fingers.

"Well, I suppose if you really think so, and if you dislike what we do, you can quit. If you think not being in the Agency makes everyone's lives and your own easier, you can go ahead and do whatever you want. It's a free country."

He bowed, as his eyes became moist suddenly, subconsciously using the sleeve of his sweater to wipe his eyes clean.

"Arigato, Miyamoto-san, and I am sorry that I had not met you earlier. Goodbye."

He headed off, heart heavy with dread as he thought about how the rest would view his departure, and slowly but surely, his eyes welled up with something people call tears.

 **X**


	3. Them

[A/N]: Thank you **Yamidori** for adding this to your story subscription list! I'm very sorry I'm late... for reading, and please enjoy the next chapter! Sorry for the late update, I had severe writer's block and also many commitments…

 **X**

 _It was absolute hell._

 _They had signed up thinking that it was supposed to be a kind of martial arts course, but the reality was oh so very different._

 _She had thought that the poster did seem a little dubious and too good to be true – after all, who had so much time and such a kind soul to conduct free classes nowadays? – and her suspicions turned out to be valid in the end._

 _God, what mess had they gotten themselves into this time?_

 _Now they were being kept in situations similar to concentration camps in World War Two – she was pretty sure those political prisoners might've been kept in better places than this – with intimidating guards in the room._

 _Even her parents thought that it was a nice, one-month long summer camp for her to up her martial arts game._

 _A small tear trickled down her cheek, as she stubbornly wiped it off with her grimy sleeve and sighed in desperation, staring out of the window into the bright daylight, so different from the darkness of their situation._

 _That tear didn't go unnoticed, however, by a certain nineteen-year-old._

 _A sickly sweet voice responded._

" _Oh, little girl, are you sad about being so far away from your family? Would you like me to comfort you?"_

 _As that lanky teenager acting as a guard at the side – not much older than she was – grinned in a way she didn't quite like and began to slide against the wall a little too close over to her side for comfort, she shivered, reflexively flinching and moving away, yelling out a little cry._

" _Don't touch me!"_

 _A set of pale black eyes flashed back at her as a warning, but it was too late._

" _Since you don't want help, you're ready for your turn to go for the little test, aren't you, brave little soul?"_

" _No, wait, no!"_

 _A slight sadistic smile crept onto the teenager's face, as he roughly grabbed her, dragging her towards that foreboding black door, her body struggling slightly and fruitlessly before going limp like a rag doll, a sign of her giving up, giving in to this entire mess._

 _And as the girl with the flowing black hair turned around for one last look at her friends' faces, a set of midnight orbs met her leafy green ones, serious and determined._

 _We will get out of here._

 _And she responded, her mouth yelling out one last cry of desperation as her body was dragged past the door, and before it closed –_

" _Ryo! Osa! If – "_

 _The door slammed shut, and the room descended into uneasy silence again._

 _Those black orbs suddenly became sorrowful and emotional once more, as they turned to look at the pair of soulless eyes belonging to the silent boy beside him._

" _It's too late. Let's carry on, we can't do anything about her. She inflicted this upon herself."_

 _The boy with the shaggy black hair sighed, as his companion merely continued staring out of the window, as soulless as ever, eyes having a certain emptiness in them._

 _Ryo…_

 _He had changed._

 _But the girl with the leafy green eyes was the same as ever – rash, wild, outspoken, stubborn, unyielding._

 _A little twisted, pained smile settled onto his lips._

 _At least he had one person he could count upon._

 _Little did he know the extent to which that very same girl would affect all their lives._

 **X**

Kunikida Doppo sat in his chair with a deep frown etched into the lines of his face.

 _What the hell had they gotten ourselves into this time?_

First, they had recruited a bloodthirsty man-eating tiger wanted by the police, for goodness sake, as one of their agents – after taking a lot of safety precautions and listening to advice from Osamu Dazai, which wasn't exactly the wisest move considering the stupid actions Dazai had done before.

Secondly, Miyamoto Yuriko had been stupidly brave – or should he say foolish? – enough to take on Akutagawa Ryunnosuke. Another huge risk. If she had died in the process – there was a 99% chance she would have – then what the hell would happen to the agency's reputation and standing? The newspapers would enthusiastically report the death of a young, intelligent law student due to "dangerous detective agency activities." _And_ the mafia had been able to throw the agency into chaos since the attack.

Thirdly, Nakajima Atsushi was now wanted by both the police _and_ the Mafia, and as a result the agency was trapped between these two authorities, and in greater danger of being attacked by either side any time.

He sighed, and began writing a report to the boss wearily, still not daring to believe in the terrible situation the agency was stuck in.

Surely things wouldn't get any worse than this… right?

" _BOOM!"_

WHAT THE HELL?!

An explosion? A terrorist attack? A surprise police raid?

That wasn't in his life manual!

Was that an _earthquake,_ of all things?!

He shot up in his seat quickly.

No. It wasn't a natural earthquake. According to his geography teacher in high school…

 _AN ATTACK BY THE MAFIA?!_

At this thought, tiny Kunikidas began running around in his brain, shrieking and shouting for help, flicking through life manuals at the same time, hyperventilating and absolutely terrified.

 _What was he supposed to do?_

All sorts of things were crashing down from the neatly-piled stacks of objects he had arranged so painstakingly earlier, and a part of him died the moment he saw the container of one of his favourite wakame snacks crash onto the floor and the plastic bottle broke, scattering little bits of crunchy wakame snack all over the floor.

 _OH MY GOODNESS KAMI DEAR MY WAKAME SNACKS MY WAKAME SNACKS MY WAKAME SNACKS_

Alarmed, he rushed over to them, quickly gathering the wakame, popping some of them into his mouth –

And then he abruptly fell down onto the floor, writhing in pain.

"Oowwww."

Another container full of wakame, fell onto his back, and then another, and then…

And before anything worse could happen, he picked up his phone, and ran for his life out of his room and towards the main door of the detective agency.

His jaw dropped when he saw the sight that greeted him in the main room.

 _Oh dear kami, it would be a good idea to take me back to where I came from now…_

Things were just beginning to heat up.

 **FIVE MINUTES EARLIER**

"Oi."

"Oiiiiiii."

" _Oiiiiiii._ "

"I swear, my dear darling Osa, if you're not going to look up and face me right now, I will seriously consider stabbing you in the face with the kitchen knife that I am currently holding in my hand, ready to strike you any time."

With some degree of alarm, Osamu Dazai looked up from the depressing drama serial about suicide on his phone, removed his earpieces at lightning speed and turned to face Miyamoto Yuriko.

 _Goodness knows what that girl could do to him…_

Then he half-heartedly rolled his eyes.

There was definitely no kitchen knife in either hand of hers.

As he started to turn back around quickly with a tinge of annoyance, he felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder a little too firmly, and he let out a little groan of pain.

" _Fine,_ I'll pay attention to you, attention-seeking little _…_ Why did you have to do that… What is it, Yuri-chan?"

"Nakajima-san decided to leave the agency, idiot! How am I supposed to tell this to Boss or Kunikida now?!"

Dazai bolted straight up in his seat, gazing at Yuriko in disbelief.

"WHAT?!"

Yuriko sighed dramatically, combing her hair back and glaring at him.

"That's what I wanted to tell you this as soon as possible. Nakajima just left the agency and I stupidly let him go without thinking of the consequences! roaming alone on the streets could cause a lot of problems! Especially since he isn't 100% familiar with that terrifying ability of his. There might be an Episode 2 of the Man-Tiger Rage in Yokohama soon… I can already see it in the papers…"

"Wait, slow down slow down, why did he quit then?"

As if on cue, the entire building shook suddenly and unexpectedly violently, with the small bonsai tree on Dazai's table toppling over, the pot cracking loudly.

As Yuriko ducked beneath an old traditional Japanese paper fan which was flying across the room dramatically, she even thought she could hear a small shriek from Doctor Yosano's room across the hallway.

The two agents had to steady themselves by gripping a nearby table, shocked and bewildered expressions on their faces.

 _What the…?_

 _That_ definitely wasn't an ordinary earthquake.

According to their geography teachers in high school…

"AHHHHHH!"

The pair ran out of the room, both clutching their phones and passports – despite the government telling them in earthquake drills to "leave all their valuables behind" during an emergency – and dashing towards the main gathering location of the detective agency.

"YOU SEE! THIS IS WHAT I MEANT!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'YOU SEE'?"

"YOU'RE SO DENSE!"

"WHY THE HELL AM I DENSE?! MY BODY MAY BE DENSER THAN WATER, BUT LESS DENSE THAN CHOCOLATE!"

"BAKA! CAN'T YOU SEE? NAKAJIMA LEFT BECAUSE OF THIS!"

"SO HE SAW THIS ATTACK COMING AND FLED LIKE A COWARD?! OR DID HE COLLABORATE WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND THIS ATTACK?!"

"I SWEAR, OSAMU DAZAI, IF – "

As the two stepped into the so-called living room of the detective agency headquarters, their mouths dropped open and their jaws dropped, dropped all the way to the floor, before staying there.

"Sorry, it seems we forgot to make an appointment beforehand."

A whole bunch of Mafia members were standing at the doorway, holding weapons and glaring menacingly at everyone in the room – which, also happened to be every single member of the detective agency present for work that day.

 _Oh, cripes._

"You have no choice but to entertain us now, I suppose."

Miyamoto Yuriko looked at the whole bunch of them in slight confusion, before understanding crept its way into her brain and a light smirk appeared on her face.

 _Ah, I see._

A light flick of her eyes served as a signal to the guy beside her, who flicked one of the fingers on his left hand back in response.

 _Way to go, partner in crime._

"You're here because of Nakajima-san, right?"

Osamu Dazai took one look at her face for confirmation, smirked a little as well, and instantly began subtly walking out of the back door of the detective agency.

Well, no one was paying attention to him, anyway.

He might as well fetch the cause of this whole fiasco back to the detective agency just as things were heating up.

 **X**

 **FIVE MINUTES EARLIER**

"We're storming the main office Detective Agency later, right? The same one where that blasted Osamu Dazai went off to."

Hirotsu Ryurou was speaking on the phone calmly as he could to that annoying Higuchi person who worshipped Akutagawa, and trying to control his tone of voice.

"Yeah. We need to eliminate his guards and protectors first before going after the bounty. See you afterwards."

The line immediately clicked off without her even saying goodbye to him, as Hirotsu growled lowly and if glares could burn, the entire phone would have been scorched by then.

 _That Higuchi…_

In the Mafia, subordinates usually showed a great deal of respect to their supervisors or whoever was of higher standing than they were. If they dared to show the slightest bit of disrespect or cheek, they would probably face severe punishment – extra special punishment by the Mafia, which was considered severe even in the sense of the community of the Japanese underworld.

Well, that was in _his_ time.

He didn't know about the present, but he was pretty sure people nowadays were usually much politer to their superiors than that asshole Higuchi.

A few days ago, he just rebuked her for her loudmouthed way of talking and her rudeness, and she had quietened down a bit. But it seemed like she had forgotten that lesson and was acting like a spoilt brat yet _again._

 _Honestly, who was the one who had recruited her again?_

The only person she was ever permanently respectful to was Akutagawa Ryunnosuke – that slightly arrogant young upstart who was now one of the five Mafia executives, someone Hirotsu himself grudgingly respected due to his immense power in the Mafia.

But even then, was it actually _necessary_ to worship the ground he walked on and trot after him like some lovesick puppy dog?

Urgh.

"Oi, Gramps, Gin and I are here already. Wanna set off soon?"

Hirotsu turned his attention over to a smirking Tachihara Michizou and a solemn Gin, surrounded by a bunch of henchmen wielding substandard weapons.

Though Tachihara himself wasn't too respectful, he was an amusing person to have around. Besides, they were quite close partners, and it wasn't like Hirotsu expected Tachihara to start acting polite to him. It would be honestly rather disgusting to see a submissive and respectful Tachihara, actually.

Highly disturbing.

Hirotsu wanted to puke just thinking about it.

"Definitely. I just got distracted by Hi – I mean, a stupid subordinate. Come on."

 _That damned detective agency…_

The one thing that had been keeping the all-powerful Mafia at bay.

Sure, the local police were trying to do their job the best they could, but police could only go far without breaking the law. They were bound by their lawful jobs. Besides, they didn't have any special abilities.

 _Useless morons._

The Yokohama Detective Agency, on the other hand, had both abilities _and_ were given rights to break the law, which the Mafia didn't have.

 _And then they had their trump card._

The very man who had somehow managed to rise up to the top of the Mafia so rapidly when he was a mere teenager; the very man who had a dark reputation for torture and killings of people, whether they be unfortunate suspects or innocent civilians; the very man who now smiled like a complete idiot and listened to music in his free time in the agency.

 _Overwhelmingly carefree._

As Hirotsu got up, his lip curled grimly as he thought of the very man who had betrayed the Mafia working in that damned detective agency at that very moment.

He had been weakened by the agency, no doubt; he wouldn't be as powerful as he was before.

But he was still quite a formidable opponent.

In fact, he would go so far as to say that Osamu Dazai was in fact way more terrifying than that Akutagawa Ryunnosuke on their side.

 _After all, Osamu Dazai was Akutagawa's role model in the past._

"Right, time to go. Remember to watch out for Osamu Dazai."

"Kay, Gramps. We know the drill."

 **TIME SKIP**

 **HIROTSU RYUROU**

"You guys are from the Black Lizard combat division of the Mafia, aren't you? Here to seek Nakajima Atsushi because of what happened that day with Akutagawa and Higuchi, if I'm not wrong?"

 _Higuchi, Higuchi…_

Ah.

Hirotsu Ryurou curled his lip in slight annoyance.

Why did her name have to pop up again, of all circumstances?

What an annoying blonde-haired subordinate who kept following Akutagawa about everywhere and incessantly spouting rubbish about how amazing he was. What a useless little puppy dog.

Actually, those eyes of Higuchi looked quite similar to the eyes of the woman – no, girl – standing in front of him.

 _Nah._

Those leafy green eyes staring dangerously back at him were much more fearless and bold than those meek and dark green orbs of Higuchi back at the Mafia.

Hirotsu arched an amused eyebrow at the said green-eyed girl before him, hiding a little smile behind his stoic expression.

Actually, that face of hers reminded him of someone else's face that he couldn't place…

 _She seems so familiar…_

 _That aura, that confident gaze, all her body language._

 _This one's perky._

Full of energy.

Time to shut her down.

"I see someone knows their facts. But I'm sorry, that won't exactly save you from what we plan to do to this detective agency. Well, if you find Nakajima Atsushi and hand him over, we'll get what we want and everyone'll be happy, yes? If you refuse… Then we have no choice but to destroy you."

Gin and Tachihara Michizou stood beside him along with a bunch of other Black Lizards, brandishing their weapons about confidently, all with smirks on their faces.

"I'm so sorry, but we refuse to hand Nakajima Atsushi over. He is a highly valued member of our de – "

Without warning, Hirotsu pointed his gun straight in her face, and just as he was about to click the trigger and blow her damned arrogant brains out of that damned arrogant skull of hers –

A lanky guy was instantly holding the gun in his hands, with an immensely infuriating grin on his face.

Hirotsu growled deeply in his throat, before making a swipe for the gun as that very same long-limbed boy jumped out of the way, his grin getting bigger and bigger by the moment.

"YOU – "

And the last thing he saw before the darkness was an extremely childish grin on the face of an extremely childish boy.

 **X**

 **FIVE MINUTES LATER**

 **NAKAJIMA ATSUSHI**

Nakajima Atsushi stood a little distance away from a certain building with widened eyes.

It was shaking and rumbling like nobody's business, with everyone crowding to watch what was happening, and reporters doing live coverage at the site.

 _Wasn't that the headquarters of the agency?_

Alarm bells began ringing in his head, as his eyes widened and he began to understand the reason behind all this.

So _this_ was what the Mafia meant the other day when they said they were going to take revenge for that day.

He stood dazed staring at the building for another few seconds, before sprinting towards it at top speed, and then –

 _Crash!_

Atsushi fell to the ground, his back in pain despite the gigantic bag he was carrying cushioning his fall, as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

 _What the…?_

Instantly, his eyes widened to the size of saucers and he quickly stood up, grabbing the shoulders of the mildly terrified man before him.

"Dazai-san! Is the agency okay? What's happening there? What're you doing out here?"

Osamu Dazai merely smiled, as he removed Atsushi's arms, before chuckling.

 _Did he just… chuckle?_

What the hell was wrong with Dazai?

Well, technically, there was _always_ something wrong with him.

Still, although Dazai usually kept his calm, he shouldn't be _this_ calm after seeing what was happening to the agency.

"It's the Mafia attacking the agency. In fact, I was there when they burst into the headquarters."

"WHAAAT?!"

Atsushi screeched, as several glass panes across the street shattered and pedestrians covered their ears, sneaking sideway glares at the anxious man.

"Then what are you doing here? LET'S GO AND HELP THEM OUT!"

Atsushi instantly grabbed Dazai by the arm, yanking him towards the building as fast as he could, trying to drag that immense stationary heavyweight around…

"Wait."

The older man pulled free of Atsushi's grip, and started chuckling softly, with an amused look on his face.

 _What…?_

Clearly, Dazai had completely lost his mind.

"Though the Mafia might be wreaking havoc on the agency right now, the situation's probably under control because Yuri-chan and the entire bunch of them are there to defend it. Don't you have any confidence in their abilities?"

"But Akutaga – "

"Akutagawa Ryunnosuke isn't there. It's just the Black Lizard Combat Squad from the Mafia, led by a super grumpy and arrogant old man called Hirotsu Ryurou. Psh. He's so annoying, he thinks he's so _great_ , even if he's worse than that Akutagawa in combat, and – Anyway, Atsushi, if you're really so concerned about the agency, you shouldn't have run off in the first place. You should have defended the honour of the agency!"

"But the agency was going to be in danger if I didn't leave! I thought if I left, they would only target me directly, not the agency."

Those unusually serious black orbs stared back at him, and Nakajima Atsushi suddenly felt as if he were two feet tall, being engulfed in the shadow of a big black beast, faced with an overwhelming power.

And then those eyes suddenly squinted as Dazai laughed, and Atsushi relaxed a little, shoulders drooping down from their tense position, still a little shaken up by his experience.

 _Just what was that?_

"The Mafia's not that stupid, Atsushi. Since we're your stronghold, they'll come attacking, in the hopes that you'd come over and try to defend us. You almost fell for their trap."

The truth dawned on him, as the older man broke into a bigger grin, and Atsushi laughed along awkwardly, scratching his head.

 _Just why were they laughing again?_

The situation wasn't even funny, for goodness' sake.

"Oh yeah, Nakajima, do you wanna go back now? They should be safe and sound~"

He thought he detected a slightly maniacal light in Dazai Osamu's eyes, as he nodded and quickly tried to catch up with the elder man's long strides, slightly panting with that huge sack over his shoulder.

Then he remembered a certain conversation in a certain alleyway that had taken place yesterday between two certain people, and his eyes narrowed, frowning, as he took a big leap forward to go face-to-face with Dazai.

"Dazai-san, just curious, how do Miyamoto-san and you know Akutagawa?"

A vivid emotion flashed wildly in those midnight orbs, as it was quickly suppressed once more, hidden behind a soulless, piercing gaze.

Dazai looked away.

"What do you mean?"

"I happened to overhear your conversation with Miyamoto-san the other day at the alley… Sorry if I'm being intrusive, but – "

"It was nothing. We just met before we joined the agency, after all. No big deal. Just… encountered him on the streets before when we were students, Yuri-chan and I."

Dazai responded curtly and simply, before walking faster and faster away from Atsushi, leaving the teen with a fuddled mind.

 _Dazai was obviously lying._

Atsushi pursed his lips, before slowly trailing behind Dazai, deep in thought.

Miyamoto Yuriko and Dazai Osamu were hiding something, and heck, he so wanted to know what it was.

 _What connected them to Akutagawa Ryunnosuke?_

 **X**

Miyamoto Yuriko was looking around at the mess that surrounded her in the detective agency, and a deep frown gradually crept up onto her displeased face.

 _Didn't they leave anything for her?_

"Nandayo, Kenji-kun… I still can't believe you knocked out that Hirotsu guy before I could even do anything to wipe that annoying look off his face… Though that was a nice move of yours."

Miyazawa Kenji broke out into yet another cheerful grin as he hopped back in front of the unconscious body of said Mafia executive, brandishing the gun in his hand like a toy.

"YEAH! That was really cool~ All thanks to my hunger though… I wanna eat now… But sorry, Yuri-chan, I was too excited to think about you…"

Yuriko grinned back, high-fiving the excitable boy, before handing him a temaki to eat, and surveying the mess around the room.

She sighed.

Honestly, it was going to be _such_ a nuisance to clear all those bodies lying on the ground and to clean up that bit of blood on the floor.

Still, she was lowkey disappointed she didn't get to participate in the action.

Yuriko sighed and took a cloth out, beginning to wipe the floor.

She didn't even do anything, and now she had to clean up the mess?

Haish.

"HALLO~"

The familiar ring of the detective agency's doorbell sounded, as a very cheerful waving Osa walked in, closely accompanied by a slightly weary Nakajima Atsushi, who for some reason was looking around the agency in slight worry, his jaw dropping the moment he saw the bodies of Mafia agents scattered around the agency floor.

 _Ah, so Nakajima got worried about us._

Even if he wanted to run away, he was a sweet kid at heart.

"Osa, you missed out on all the action, haha… Nakajima, welcome back! Glad Osa managed to drag you back here."

The shaggy-haired teen scratched his head awkwardly, and for some reason refused to meet Yuriko's eyes.

"Ah, I wanted to come here myself as soon as I heard the loud bangs caused by the Mafia, but Dazai stopped me and explained to me what was happening first."

"Okay! No worries, because we managed to stop them in time, even if I didn't get the chance to take part in any action… _Yes,_ I'm looking at you, you sly brat, you Miyazawa Kenji…"

"Oi Yuri-chan, don't complain! At least you were there to see that Hirotsu dude get humiliated! I can't believe _I_ got sent to fetch Nakajima when I could have helped somehow in fighting the Mafia!"

"Well, I'm the youngest, so I get first priority in attacking him! Besides, I haven't eaten in so long, I have to put my power into action to make it worth it, right?"

"OSAMU DAZAI AND MIYAMOTO YURIKO! You wanted to have a juicy battle between the Mafia and the Agency?! Then alright, GO TO THE MAFIA HEADQUARTERS RIGHT NOW AND FIGHT IT OUT! LET'S SEE IF YOU COME OUT ALIVE, THE TWO OF YOU!"

"Jeez, Kunikida, anger management… Everyone calm down, the battle's over, so what if you guys didn't take part? I was slightly alarmed by them too…"

"Precisely, Onii-chan~ Don't worry, I was scared too, you're not alone!"

"Psh. What kind of fight was that?! It was a total one-sided knockout. No one even got injured for me to take special care of."

"Alright alright everyone, settle down. Miyamoto and Dazai, stop pulling faces at each other. Miyazawa, I understand you're hungry, but can you please eat more quietly and less messily – watch out, that's my watch! Yosano, put that pair of scissors _down_ right now. Naomi – yes, stop that. Thank you.

"Welcome back to the detective agency, Nakajima-san. Hope you stay here permanently. Remember, no matter what, we'll stand by you and support you!"

"YES!"

As the silver-haired boy got enveloped in a barrage of hugs from all the agents, a small tear trickled down his cheek.

And he thanked his lucky stars once more as the warmth of the detective agency enveloped him, as he pushed aside the shady connection between two specific agents and a certain Mafia boss.

 **X**

In case you guys want to know, I'm not planning on following the storyline event-by-event, and might skip over small things or introduce certain characters sooner! Hehe do look out for them!


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